The Story Behind the Demented War
by Wynter Nite
Summary: A trip through Harry’s school years and beyond in relation to Severus Snape and their work together in the Final Battle and eventually the Demented War. Eventual SLASH HPSS


The Story Behind the Demented War  
  
A trip through Harry's school years and beyond in relation to Severus Snape and their work together in the Final Battle and eventually the Demented War. *SLASH* HP/SS  
  
One: Capture. Again  
  
Severus stalked around the interior of Azkaban, even crouching he had an undeniable grace; slinking from shadow to shadow, inside of the dark magic-snubbing walls of the debauched prison. Dementors completely oblivious of him.  
  
Voldemort had made an alliance with the dementors long before the Ministry ever suspected that anything was wrong. With such blatant candidates for death Eaters in their ranks, it was amazing how Fudge and his cronies lasted as long as they did. The only reason he the government didn't completely crumble years beforehand, was Voldemort's constant command to let him bide his time; fat lot it did him. With dementors first on the list of turncoats, to any overlord.  
  
As with any follower of Voldemort, cruel punishments were in line for any member who decided to defy, or displease Voldemort in any way. Resulting in crude testing of the victims, that led Voldemort to a way of actually controlling them. Not with a treaty, like the Ministry, but with brut force. Wards were put on each individual dementor, on their only weak spot (which was only known to four, now, dead men.) The wards react neutrally to the Dark Mark, dementors couldn't sense a Marked Death Eater, unless by sound or smell, both of which can be neutralized with an easy swish and flick.  
  
Dementors don't turn on what Harry had come to name the 'vacuum' on a person's emotions unless they can sense that individual. So Severus was free from their emotional drainage. He hid only as a precaution, in case any other dark creatures, ones who could actually see, were wandering about on some errand or another.  
  
He did see a few dark creatures, a gaggle of hags, and a lone vampire at one point, but everything was pretty much quiet for the moment. It was high noon, so most of the dark creatures, preferring their darkness, were asleep, or at least not very active at the moment.  
  
It was pitch black, as all of the windows had been sealed up, for the comfort of the dark creatures, and safety precautions. Very good safety precautions, Severus mused, it had taken balls of steel to just walk through the front door, even being the last unknown Marked Death Eater. In the dementors minds, all Death Eaters were dead, and therefore, posed no threat.  
  
All Severus had to be wary of was making any noise (a potion could eliminate his smell to the sensitive creatures, but there were only charms to make him completely silent. That, unfortunately, would set off wards, and then become useless from the anti-magic wards, which was first on Severus' List of Thing He Didn't Want To Happen Today, right along with resurrecting Voldemort.  
  
It was an amazingly fortunate fact that Dementors almost solely depended on their emotional sense, because it was such an advanced and elaborate sense, and took up most of their concentration away from their other senses. All those years of being a Death Eater Spy were certainly paying off, as he moved quickly and efficiently down the halls that were once jail cells.  
  
The one problem was the prisoner of war he was looking for.was nowhere to be found. Severus had imagined that Harry would be making a raucous, or Weasly would be whining at least. But no, it was quiet as a tomb. Just my luck, Severus thought, the one time Harry and Weasly stop their senseless chatter about quidditch is now, after all these years of separation, one would think they would stay up late into the night gossiping about nonsense. Severus sighed, why does Harry have to get into such obtuse situations? And why do I always come after him. I must be officially losing my sanity, to that damned man. I knew a Potter would be my downfall, he thought cynically.  
  
Severus crept down what looked like a main hallway, no hiding spots, crevices or sufficient shadows, to protect him. But he hadn't run into trouble thus far, why should he now? He normally would have tried to find an alternate path, but time was of the essence. With the execution scheduled for midnight they needed to disappear as quickly a possible.  
  
Well, fate had never been in particular favor of the snarky potions master, and that day was no exception. He heard the vampires when he knew it was too late. He froze, if they were really inattentive, he could get away without being noticed. Just stay still, Severus thought, and the vile creatures will be to tired and energy drained from being conscious in the day to notice my presence.  
  
Their were about four walking down the hall, three men and a woman who were apparently fatigued and mad, mumbling something in a language Severus thought sounded quite like Russian or maybe Hungarian. Their pale faces and sharp features didn't look quite as terrifying, while they were stumbling over their own feet. The sharp, pointed fangs, exposed as the smallest vampire in the quartet yawned, were the only indicator that they were even remotely deadly at the moment.  
  
Remember fate? And it's infamous grudge against one Severus Snape for some reason or another? The vampires were almost out of the hall, not two seconds away from Severus breathing properly again, body flattened to the wall, when the smallest one, the Yawner, finally completely tripped over it's own feet and landed on the floor with a rumple thud.  
  
A tall intimidating looking vampire laughed, in a low silky voice, while the other two helped him up, a plump one rolled her eyes and a decidedly ugly one looked sympathetic. The Ugly one said something that Severus imagined translated to "You'll be okay, just watch your feet next time." While the Yawner brushed off his black trench coat. The Yawner looked up. and spotted Severus, and yelled something in the foreign tongue.  
  
Severus started to run back down the hall he had just come up, when he was cut off by over a dozen dementors; dementors he knew were instructed to administer the kiss even if they couldn't sense him. They turned on their 'vacuum' and he summoned all the power he could and stupefied three of the vampires, who landed on top of the fourth. Then, summoning his needed memory.  
  
.A happy memory of death.  
  
~Screaming, and more screaming, that's all there was to the world anymore, that and the pain. Not of the body, but of the mind.  
  
Victor was screaming, screaming for death, to be let free of the pain. "Please, Please let me di-AH!!" Victor sobbed, then a wand was raised and he screamed again when the "Crucio" was aimed at his convulsing form.  
  
Severus was screaming too, to make them stop, they were torturing Victor, to punish him. His lover was going to die in excruciating pain, because he did the right thing. Nice guys really do finish last. He though cynically.  
  
The spell stopped and the circle of masked and robed figures pushed inwards.  
  
"Severus, our little traitor," many of the Death eaters laughed at Severus' defeated expression. "Who will you have die, your whore, or yourself?" Voldemort asked, scaly skin twisted into a cruel smile.  
  
"Please, My Lord, take my life." Severus said quietly, defeated. "Let Victor go!" Severus sobbed with emotion. Then under his breath "I don't deserve to live."  
  
"Ah, what a touching sentiment, the Traitor makes." Voldemort announced to the Death Eaters, whom all looked smug. "But you seem to crave death already," Severus' expression changed from defeated to horrified. "I think letting you live would be more of a punishment, and your whore is screaming so nicely." Voldemort said as he stood and walked over to Victor who lay on the floor panting and convulsing, barely concise. The being that once called himself a man reached down to touch Victors face and brought it level with his own. He kissed Victor softly, parting with a sadistic smirk. "Now, Severus, watch your whore die, and remember," he added as somewhat of an afterthought. "That he would be alive and happy, if he had never met you. If you were never born. If you had never been so selfish as to have loved him."  
  
And Voldemort cast a quiet spell, and the blood gushing from a substantial gash on his forehead, stopped coming in a predictable beat. his heart had stopped. No green light, no lightening bolt gash on his forehead. Voldemort wouldn't waste an unforgivable on him, wouldn't even use an unforgivable, just a low blood pressure charm. With so much of his blood gone already, it had worked quickly and effectively  
  
'He's free now' Severus thought, 'He's free, and he's at peace, and I shall be reunited with him soon.' He smiled a sad, cold, teary smile. A smile that no man should ever have to wear. ~  
  
"Expectum Pratanese!!!" Severus shouted and the Killing Patrunus was set; a huge semi-solid, liquid-like, black panther roared loudly and made to pounce on the closest dementor. Teeth plunged into the dementor, and it made a wheezing noise as the panther tore it's limbs from it's body, dark blue, viscous blood came dripping slowly from the wounds.  
  
The other dementors sped away as fast as they could, but the panther attacked again.  
  
He never saw the movement from the pile of vampires, as the Yawner stalked up behind him.  
  
Severus was keeping up the Killing Patrunus very well, with every prospect of escaping unscathed, when a piercing pain started in his neck. Then a pulling, and the panther slowly disintegrated as the room went black.  
  
Please review, I want to know if this is worth continuing. I know it has a lot of foreshadowing, that may seem confusing, but things will be explained soon. It's also still at the betas, so the grammar and spelling will be fixed soon. If anyone has a better name for this please share, I don't like this one.  
  
Wynter 


End file.
